Header 2015-03-03

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Fort Resolution governments to work with GNWT on forestry
The Fort Resolution Métis Council and Deninu Kué First Nation have agreed to work with the GNWT to manage the forestry industry, signing a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) last week. The MOU spells out a team approach to administering the forest industry and specifies limits on the potential purchasers. According to the GNWT, the MOU is the “first step” to seeing a steady supply of timber to support the government’s biomass strategy, which aims to see wood used commercially to heat homes and buildings across the territory. The Métis and First Nation have historically not seen eye to eye on forestry matters, but both leaders said they believe the MOU is a positive step.

MLA booted from legislature after refusing to apologize for remarks
Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins was suspended from the legislature during last Friday’s sitting after he refused to apologize for accusing Finance employees of purposefully not filling jobs and misusing money for “pet projects.” Speaker Jackie Jacobson told the legislature Hawkins’ comments questioned the “personal integrity” of a small group not present to defend themselves. When asked to withdraw his remarks and apologize, Hawkins tried to defend himself without directly apologizing and was suspended from the legislature for the rest of the day.

Alexandra Falls voted second most popular waterfall by travelers
The NWT’s Alexandra Falls was named one of the top two waterfalls in Western/Northern Canada as part of the 2014 Travelers Choice Awards by ehcanadatravel.com blog and online magazine. Beat out only by Kinuseo Falls in northern BC, Alexandra Falls, part of the Twin Falls Gorge Territorial Park on the “Waterfall Highway,” was selected based on the number of online travelers who visited the falls in 2013 and contributed to the blog. “The highway is one of the best waterfalling routes in the country and should be on every traveler’s bucket list,” the website reads. Ehcanadatravel.com boasts more than 2 million online contributers per year.

Photo: Bill Braden

Derek Kaemingk and Amanda Grobbecker spend Saturday evening walking on the “Coldest Night of the Year” in Yellowknife, a fundraiser event for the Salvation Army. The national project has raised around $2.2 million for the “hungry, homeless and hurting,” with Yellowknife raising the second highest amount out of 63 locations in Canada with a total of $40,846 from 100 walkers. Yellowknife’s target was $25,000.